Upper buffing device for vestibule face-plates.



L. C. SPARKS.

UPPER BUFFING DEVICE FOR VESTIBULE FACE PLATES.

APPLICATlON FILED MAN. 1. i916.

Patented Get.

0.. PNOTO-LII'nO WASHINLJON. mv cv LEvr c. SPARKS, F MAPLEWOOID, ivrrssouar, AssIGNoE 320 AMERICAN. can, AND FOUNDRY COMPANY, oE sr. Louis, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 0E NEW JERSEY.

UPPER BUFFING DEVICE FOR VESTIBULE FACE-PLATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

latentcd ea. 3, rate.

Application filed March 1, 1916. Serial No. 81,395.

' plewood, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Upper. Bufling Devices for Vestibule Face-Plates, of

p which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such aswill enables others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates generally to railway car vestibule structure andmore particularly to an upper buffing device for vestibule face plates of the type disclosed in Patent No. 1,17 0,548, dated February 8, 1916.

It will be understood that upper buffing devices of the type to which my invention relates generally include a spring, preferably of the semi-elliptic type and composed of one or more leaves, which spring is interposed between the diaphragm'face plate and the end of the car. In service, this spring is compressed and expands with the corresponding movements of the diaphragm, thus at all times maintaining the face plates of an adjacent pair of diaphragms in close yielding contact with each other. Further, the use of upper buffing devices maintains the diaphragm face plates and particularly the upper portions thereof inproper relative position and restores them to such position after they have been displaced or shifted as a result of relative movement between the cars as the latter pass over curves, crossings, and irregularities in the track.

The principal object of my invention is to generally improve upon the particular form ofloi'ufing device disclosed in the patent afore said, which improvement consists in the provision of means for maintaining the ends of the spring in proper position within the brackets or bearings, which are secured to the vestibule structure and which means also limits the movement of the end portions of the spring through said brackets, without necessitating the bending of the end portions of said spring.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan View of a portion of a diaphragm and its spring and showing one end of said spring positioned-in one of the brackets or bearings. Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of a portion of adiaphragm face plate with its spring, the end of which latter is positioned in one of the brackets or bearings. Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken approximately on the line 33 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken approximately on the line 4- ofFig.2. V

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing, 10 designates the end portion of a car vestibule, 11 the usual bellows diaphragm, and 12 the diaphragm face plate.

The central portion of an ordinary semielliptic spring 13, having one-or more leaves, is connected in any suitable manner to the upper portion of the face plate 12, and formed through the ends of said spring are longitudinally disposed slots 14. V i The bracket contemplated by my invention and which serves as a combined keeper and bearing for the end of the spring includes a base member 15, preferably in the formof a flat plate which is rigidly fixed in any suitable manner to the vestibule structure and the lower portion of this plate is bent outwardly and thence downwardly to form a member 16 which is parallel with and offset from the main body portion of the plate.

Hinged in any suitable manner to the upper end of each plate 15 is the upper end i of a keeper 17 which normally occupies a verticalposition directly in front of the central portion of plate 15, The lower end of this keeper overlies the ofi-set member 16 of plate 15 and said parts are detachably connected in any suitable manner, preferably by means of bolts and nuts.

Formed integral with and projecting rearwardly from the central portion of keeper 17 is a lug 18 which, when the parts are properly assembled, passes through the slot 14: in the corresponding end of the spring.

When a device of my improved construction is in service, it will be understood that the spring 18 resists the inward movement of face plate 12 and during such action, the ends of said springinove freely through the brackets or bearings comprising the plates 15 and keepers 17.

The brackets serve to support the ends of the springs in proper position and by virtue of the slot and lug connections between gree.

It will be understood that when a device of my improved construction is assembled, or taken apart, it is only necessary to remove the bolts or other devices which secure the lower end of the keeper 14 to member 16 and then swing said keeper outwardly and upwardly a sufiicient distance to permit the insertion or removal of the ends of the spring.

A device of my improved construction is comparatively simple, can be easily and cheaply manufactured and installed, provides a substantial connection between the diaphragm face plate and the vestibule structure and in addition to permitting the ends of the diaphragm face plate spring to move freely for a limited distance through the spring bearings or brackets, is efiective in preventing the withdrawal of the end portions of the springs from said brackets.

It will be readily understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts of my improved device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown and described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claims,

I claim:

1. The combination with a railway car vestibule and diaphragm face plate, of a semi-elliptic spring carried by one of said elements, brackets positioned on the other elements, which brackets receive the ends of the spring, and pin and slot connections between said brackets and the ends of the spring. a v

2. The combination with a diaphragm face plate spring, of fixed brackets which receive the ends of said spring, and there being pin and slot connections between the ends of said spring and said brackets,

3. The combination with a railway car vestibule and vestibule diaphragm face plate, of a semi-elliptic spring carried by one of said-elements, the end portions of which spring are slotted, brackets positioned on the other elements, which brackets receive the slotted ends of the spring, and lugs on said brackets which project through the slots in the spring.

4:. The combination with a diaphragm face plate spring provided with slots in its ends, of brackets adapted to receive the ends of said spring, and lugs on said brackets which project through said slots.

5. The combination with a diaphragm face plate spring provided in its ends with slots, of keepers which receive the slotted ends of the spring, and projections on said keepers, which projections extend into the slots in the spring.

6. The combination with a diaphragm face plate spring, of keepers which receive the ends of said spring, and pin and slot connections between said spring and keepers for limiting the movement of the end portions of the spring through said keepers in both directions.

7. The combination with a diaphragm face plate spring, the ends of which are provided with slots, of brackets which receive the ends of said spring, each of which brackets comprises a pair of plates, and a projection on one of said plates, which pro- 7 jections extend into the slot in the engaged end of the spring.

In testimony whereof I hereunto a'IiiX my signature, in the presence of two witnesses, this 28th day of February, 1916.

LEVI C. SPARKS.

Witnesses:

OsoAR Hoar-113mm, WILLIAM V. MORRISON.

@opies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

